03.6 - BSRB BCER Public Release Redacted 2023.12.08_Part6 — original pdf
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E-1 - Open House Boards E-2 - Public Comments – April 2023 Barton Springs Road Bridge Over Barton Creek Project Public Meeting Summary (April 2023) Contents Public Engagement Process ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Public Comment Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Overall Sentiment Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Public Comments ............................................................................................................................................................. 3 No Changes to Bridge ‐ roughly 20% ........................................................................................................................ 3 Against Replacement ‐ roughly 5% ........................................................................................................................... 3 In Favor of Rehabilitation ‐ roughly 30% .................................................................................................................. 3 In Favor of Replacement – 30% .................................................................................................................................. 3 Undetermined/Miscellaneous – 10% ......................................................................................................................... 3 Results for Optional Demographic Questions ................................................................................................................. 3 Appendix: All Comments ................................................................................................................................................... 8 1 Public Engagement Process On April 4, 2023, the Austin Transportation & Public Works Department (TPW) conducted its first in‐person public meeting on the Barton Springs Road Bridge Project. Although this meeting was postponed from March 2, 2023, due to local weather conditions, the virtual public meeting went online on March 2 as planned and remained live through April 18 when all public comments were due. The purpose of this in‐person and virtual meeting was to present the project and to gather community feedback on various alternatives for improving safety and mobility for the Barton Springs Road Bridge. Many of the existing bridge’s features are functionally obsolete and require rehabilitation or replacement to ensure safety and longevity. Promotion of the public meeting (both in‐person and virtual) included a flyer mailout to the project stakeholder list of individuals and organizations; placement of meeting signs in the neighborhoods in and around the project area; postings on social media sites (NextDoor, Facebook, and Twitter); and a media advisory. Public Comment Results Public comments were gathered in two ways: on paper during the in‐person public meeting on April 4, 2023 and online as part of the virtual public meeting that started on March 2. All comments were due on April 18. Both in‐person and online, meeting participants were asked to share their feedback in one open‐ended question: Do you have any comments or questions for the project team? The online version also included optional demographic questions. The online survey was open from March 2 – April 18 whereas the in‐person public meeting took place on one evening (April 4). A total of 187 comments were received during the comment period; 11 of those comments were gathered during the in‐person meeting while the remainder were submitted online. Overall there were 1,677 views of the virtual public meeting, 189 participated in the online survey and made 446 overall responses. The total number of comments received was 187 (includes the comments received at the in‐person public meeting.) The project team reviewed all of the public comments to better understand how people feel about replacing versus rehabilitating the Barton Springs Road Bridge and to see how they reacted to the recommended alternative (replacement). For the responses to the single open‐ended question, the project team read and tagged each comment for themes, sometimes multiple themes when applicable. Overall Sentiment Analysis To better understand overall sentiments regarding replacement versus rehabilitation of the bridge, the project 2 team counted each sentiment category (in favor of no changes to the bridge, support for rehabilitation, support for replacement, against replacement, and miscellaneous) once per respondent. Public Comments The public comments received for this project have been reviewed and addressed. They are shown below according to general sentiment categories and the percentages are approximate ‐ rounded to nearest 5%. No Changes to Bridge ‐ roughly 20% This type of comment included phrases such as “bridge is fine” “leave it alone,” “wasted project,” “spend money on other things,” “no need for construction.” Against Replacement ‐ roughly 5% Commenters were not necessarily in favor of rehabilitation but were anti‐replacement. Some of the comment wording was hard to distinguish from “leave it alone.” In Favor of Rehabilitation ‐ roughly 30% Many of these comments were very similar and appeared to be standard comments generated by an advocacy group. In Favor of Replacement – 30% Some of these comments specifically expressed support for replacement whereas three‐quarters of this group of commenters acknowledged replacement but focused on a desire for a different bridge design (than the design in the recommended alternative), one that has more of an Austin aesthetic. It should be noted that a majority of the people attending the in‐person open house were in favor of replacement, which may be related to the fact that these individuals were able to interact and ask questions of the project team in real time. Undetermined/Miscellaneous – 10% Comments in this category mentioned a concern for the bridge’s impact on the environment, issues with adjacent roadways, or access for water craft, bicycles or pedestrians but did not contain any opinion of the bridge itself. A few comments were so vague that they could not be categorized. Results for Optional Demographic Questions The survey also included optional demographic questions that would offer the project team insight into whom 3 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Which of the following best represents your gender identity? 52 31 4 Male Female Another Gender Which of the following best represents your cultural identity? Select all that apply. 63 1 Asian 9 3 3 Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx; White Native/Indigenous Prefer to self‐ describe White 0 Black 5 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Do you identify as someone with a disability? Select all that apply. 65 2 2 4 1 1 Yes, I have a cognitively‐ or intellectually‐related disability Yes, I have a hearing‐ related disability Yes, I have a mobility‐related disability Yes, I have a vision‐ related disability No, I do not identify as having a disability Yes, I have a vision‐ related disability; Yes, I have a cognitively‐ or intellectually‐related disability What is your yearly household income? 18 15 12 12 13 4 $0 ‐ $24,999 $25,000 ‐ $49,999 $50,000 ‐ $74,999 $75,000 ‐ $99,999 $100,000 ‐ $149,999 $150,000 + 6 What is your age? 23 16 16 12 11 2 2 Under 18 years 18‐24 years 25‐34 years 35‐44 years 45‐54 years 55‐64 years 65 years or older 25 20 15 10 5 0 7